A day in the life of a typical urban go-getter usually involves a laptop spread across the floor and the television blaring, as an accompaniment to dinner. Sometimes it’s clearing one’s inbox and other times, it’s editing a last-minute presentation, but somehow, it seems like the work never ends. Whether it’s the upcoming breed of freelancers and work-from-home professionals that India is embracing or corporate mavens who can never part with their work, a home office is becoming a necessity in the times we live in. And creating a warm, inviting office studio is the first step to get there.

When choosing a colour for your home studio, think about shades that work best for you. Some people are attuned to thinking, ideating and performing better in response to certain colours. Discover how your brain responds to colours so that you can select the right palette for your walls. Don’t go for the run-of-the-mill shade card that is usually used for offices; dare to be different. It’ll probably reflect in your work too!

Since most spare bedrooms in urban apartments aren’t the best storage spaces, think about organising horizontally and vertically. Create a wall-to-ceiling storage unit and paint it a vibrant colour. In this case, opt for light colours for your walls, so that your storage unit stands out.

Fasten floating shelves on the wall facing your desk to store your files and folders, and invest in a nice wicker or cane basket to keep your paperclips, stapler, notes and knickknacks. Look at how these floating shelves double up as wall accents!

When considering the décor scheme for your office studio, think about making it homely. By using extras around your home as accessories, you can turn your studio into a familiar oasis for your thoughts. Use a pretty mug as a pen stand or a decorative basket as a waste bin. Or cover your soft board in reams of gorgeous streamers that you can find at any party shop. Introduce objects that you already relate to,and you will be wrapped in a sense of warm familiarity.

While there’s little you can do to beautify your technology, you can take measures to hide unsightly wires and cords. Position your desk as close to your power outlets as possible, and enrobe your wires in a lovely fabric cord cover. These are available aplenty online and in computer retail shops. You can also organise the wires that descend on to your floor by laying tubing, cord winders or a wire organiser to ensure that they do not get entangled.

Lighting is one of the most important elements for any home office. Avoid facing your computer screen towards a window, to avoid glare. That said, it’s a good idea to keep a lamp on your desk for task lighting.

When it comes to deciding on your desk, sleekness works best. Most of us don’t have the luxury of space, and slim, narrow desks that fit directly into walls are the best solution. A slim plank of wood extending the entire length of the wall could work as a storage surface as well as a desk.

With a home office to work in, you’ll enjoy the fact that work never ends. So maybe, just maybe, it’s a good thing that it never does!